Ephemeris Silenti
by The Philosopher's Queen
Summary: Ephemeris Silenti: The Diary of the Dead. Numerous drabbles featuring most characters. Originally a year-long challenge but permanently discontinued due to an illness and a backlog I don't want to think about.
1. Vigilo

_**Ephemeris **__**Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

Have I taken on the impossible? Most likely. This was an idea given to me by a friend who saw it done elsewhere, in another fandom (I don't know where, I haven't looked) and wanted someone to try it out for Death Note. I love Death Note, so I agreed. So, every day, from now on, until the 17th of January 2010, I shall write one drabble a day. For me, a drabble is between 300 and 1000 words, so this could be difficult XD

Some will be canon, some will hint at pairings, (of course, requests are welcome, since 365 muses are going to be hard to come by ^_^) and some will be longer than others. All characters will be featured at some point. Wish me luck.

............

This is going to be interesting.

............

**... Entry One - January 17****th****, 2009 ...**

**... **_**Vigilo**_** ...**

Dark eyes averted themselves from the images before them, despite the fact that the brief cessation to near-constant surveillance would aggravate his inferiors. After all, even murderers needed their private moments, he mused, as he steadfastly ignored Yagami and Amane's embrace. He knew that he would win soon anyway, why be a voyeur to the last vestiges of happiness the two suspects were experiencing? (Or rather, one, he was aware that there was only one part of Amane that interested Yagami, and that was her eyes)

Even he was not so cruel.

Or was he? There was no real benefit for him in this bizarre game of cat and mouse – a game in which Near was never _quite_ sure which role he was playing – he was not doing this for himself. Nor was he in any way avenging his predecessor. Near made no secret of his lack of fondness for the bizarre ex-detective who called himself 'L'. The man just was not someone to look up to, in the white haired child's eyes. Not normal. Then again...

Hypocrite. He was hardly the epitome of 'normal' himself. Near mused away, still not looking at the screens. He supposed, if there was a reason for his apparent devotion to the case, it would be very much linked to his volatile counterpart. Mello, of course, was deeply passionate about bringing Kira down, despite not having a perfectly clean slate himself. He _had_ loved L, in his own Mello-like way, and Near would have been reasonably happy to let his one-time friend take the role of L instead, leaving Near to pursue his own interests. Which, admittedly, were limited. Of course, Mello's inability to think his actions through meant that he was unsuited for the task, so Near felt 'obliged' to take on the position himself.

He would be lying, however, if he said he didn't enjoy being the best. He _knew_ he was, and he knew that he, perhaps with the somewhat unwilling help of Mello, he could succeed where L had failed. Perhaps Mello would help him without realising; his brash actions thus far had proved to make this game interesting. And of course, they irritated Kira. Which was, as far as the childish Near was concerned, an added bonus. Perhaps he would slip up sooner than expected with the stress of having the Machiavellian blond continually getting under his skin.

The misfortune was that it was only a matter of time before Kira, or one of his people, made deadly use of the information Soichiro Yagami had provided them with. Mello's real name. Near turned his eyes back to the screens, where thankfully, Amane was no longer hanging off Kira, and prepared to watch carefully once again. Would they kill Mello soon? Blank, emotionless eyes blinked once. Perhaps he would win before that happened.

But perhaps not.

Either way, this game, and with it, Kira's story, was coming to its conclusion.

............

Well there we go, entry number one. I love Near, I know a lot of people don't....but...I love how he's so two-sided...this innocent looking exterior hiding a cunning and clever mind. Love it. Then again, I love slightly psychotic teenagers. And let's face it, Near _is_ a bit psycho. I love that cute 'gotcha' smile he uses so often.


	2. Dies Requiescum

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

And so, the second day, the second drabble. I hope I can keep this going :D. I'm actually enjoying it so far. Today's drabble features L and Raito, working on a Sunday. Set when Raito has abandoned his memories of the Death Note.

Thanks to SkywardShadow and DeMacabre for the reviews! 3

Warning: contains VERY VAGUE hints of Light x L. (if you squint and tilt your head to the right XD) If you don't like it, you can ignore it and wait for the next one :)

For those that DO like it....they'll probably be closer in future drabbles.

_Dies Requiescum_: Day of Rest.

............

**... Entry Two - January 18****th****, 2009 ...**

**... **_**Dies Requiescum**___**...**

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Raito twitched. This was intensely irritating. He'd drawn a complete blank on the latest set of data he'd been scrutinising, Ryuzaki's incessant tapping on the keyboard was the single most annoying thing he'd ever _heard_, (despite being an incredibly amusing sight – he had yet to find a single normal trait the man carried...) it was four o clock on a Sunday morning, and his _handcuffs_ were leaving red marks on his wrists. To name but a few of the things that were currently grating on his nerves. "Can we go to bed yet?" He growled, rubbing his eyes. The skinny detective turned to him, an eyebrow raised and a smile on his face that was oh-so-innocent. "Raito-kun only had to ask..."

_Intensely_ irritating.

"Oh for the love of..." Raito trailed off, yanking petulantly on the chain and standing up. "You could have _said_, I'm _tired_."

"Apologies, Raito kun." The smirk on Ryuzaki's face said it all. The younger man made a low noise of dissent in the back of his throat as the two made their way up to the bedroom. _Their_ bedroom. Of course, Raito thought with a roll of his eyes, _that_ was not weird at all...at least, it wasn't anymore. He wondered vaguely if he was going insane. Damn Ryuzaki.

He was still irritable when the two of them had finally made it into bed. (Cue much faffing around on Ryuzaki's part, and a whiny insistence that the chain was not to be undone – a ritual which had become habit) Raito closed his eyes in exasperation, despite the fact that he was beginning to find the detective's eccentricities endearing, if still very annoying.

...

He must have fallen asleep with that thought. Blinking, he sat up, a yawn interrupting the call to Ryuzaki he would normally have made. Rubbing at his eyes, he vaguely wondered what time it was. The fact that the older man insisted on dark curtains always made it hard to tell. It wasn't until he tried to get up that he noticed something odd. Raito raised one elegant eyebrow as he realised Ryuzaki was still asleep. Well now, this wasn't something he'd seen before. The insomniac detective was always up before him. That either meant that his friend had been more tired than he had let on last night, or that it was still ridiculously early, and Raito should go back to sleep.

Ten minutes later, he was still watching Ryuzaki. This was also normal; the two would stare at one another for hours, each trying to work the other out. This was probably due to the exhaustingly long amounts of time they spent in each other's company, he supposed. He blinked as the older man's eyes were suddenly open.

"Good morning, Raito-kun. It is most unusual for you to be awake before myself..."

Raito made no other reply than a slight noise, so Ryuzaki sat up. A few moments later, the younger frowned a little. "It's a Sunday today, right?"

"It is indeed."

"Isn't Sunday supposed to be a rest day?"

"If you are of certain religions, yes."

"Aren't you?"

"....."

He hadn't expected a reply to such a personal question. Hell, the detective wouldn't even tell him his name, age, where he was born, or where he grew up. He was hardly going to inform Raito of his religious preferences now was he? They stared one another down for a while, until the slender detective allowed his lips to quirk into a grin as he cocked his head to one side. "....rest day...?"

...

Needless to say, the taskforce were more than a little surprised when they entered HQ, along with their own grumbles about working on a Sunday, to find L sprawled on one of the couches, looking _almost_ normal, reading for pleasure rather than work, while Raito, who seemed happy to let L rest his long legs on the younger's lap, watched some TV drama on the widescreen that they hadn't even realised _received_ normal channels. As they stared, Raito smirked.

Ryuzaki blinked up at them. "Raito convinced me that we should make Sunday a day of rest." He said simply.

............

And there's drabble number two! That was fun, I love writing Raito, and I adore L. I figured that the taskforce may have certain complaints about working on a Sunday, since it's supposedly a day of rest. Hope you liked it. Tomorrow's drabble will feature Mello!

Thanks for reading.

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	3. Ex Nihilo

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Ex Nihilo: _ 'Out of Nothing'

HUUUGE thanks for reviews, and thanks a bunch to my sexy Annie too, for providing all the Latin for me. She's a clever sausage. This one is for her, since she loves Mello.

Mello-centric.

............

**... Entry Three - January 19****th****, 2009 ...**

**... **_**Ex Nihilo**___**...**

His plan went off without a hitch. Well, it almost did, if you discounted the fact that his face felt as though half of it was actually missing, his clothes were torn to pieces, and most of his left arm and shoulder had gone worryingly numb. Other than that, he'd accomplished what he needed to accomplish. But bloody hell, did it ever hurt to move. Unfortunately, sitting tight and waiting for the surviving taskforce members to regain consciousness and arrest him wasn't exactly an option. So, ten minutes later found Mello crawling through the rubble, having sworn loudly the first time he set weight on his left arm...and consequently ignoring it in favour of getting the hell _out_. He was trying intensely hard to tune out the spasms of pain that were shooting up his arm every time his left hand made contact with the floor.

Finally collapsing onto the floor with a slight cry, he lay still, panting, his ruined fingers grasping at the floor, bleeding and bruised from his slow crawl out of immediate danger. He shook with exhaustion, violent tremors that rattled his spine. With trembling fingers, he tugged his phone out of his pocket, excruciatingly slowly, and with a rather pathetic whine as his arm protested the simple movement. Mello pressed his forehead into the ground (probably a stupid idea, in retrospect, he'd probably get some horrible disease now, if the amount of blood pouring down his face was anything to go by). He could no longer see through his left eye, the pain in his face was starting to make itself known, and his shoulder throbbed as the gashes and burns stung and hissed at all the exertion.

In short, he was screwed. Really screwed.

An immeasurable amount of time later, he had done precisely nothing, his vision swimming too much to even see the buttons on his phone, let alone call for help. He could vaguely hear movement somewhere, and prayed that it was not the taskforce searching for him. There was certainly no way he would be able to outrun or outmanoeuvre them in this state. He grit his teeth and held his body tense – he would not pass out, he'd gone through quite enough pain in his life, thank you very much, and he didn't particularly want to be found unconscious...by anyone.

"Honestly, Mel, I leave you alone for five minutes and you do something like this." The new voice was tinted with exasperation, worry, slight sarcasm and even traces of dry humour, but a more welcome voice the blond had never heard. Unable to reply, he just lifted his head to stare at the newcomer, and managed to turn the corners of his mouth into a tiny smirk.

Matt sighed. "You know, you really should _tell_ me if you're going to do something insane. At least then I could have gotten to you slightly quicker." He crouched beside Mello and wound the older boy's arm around his shoulder, helping him stand. Mello leaned heavily on his friend, hissing in pain as his shoulder complained at the movement.

They left in silence, Mello being half carried from the remains of his ruined base.

..........

This took me ages to write, mainly because Mello is my favourite character, and when I write him, I want to get it right. I hope I've done so. With this, I wanted to show him in his most vulnerable state, so I chose the part of the manga where he blows himself up. Methinks he got a little desperate...and of course, I like to think that it would be Matt that rescued him in the end. Just because. They are best friends and all that :)

Um....the title is supposed to represent the fact that Mello survived when everything around him was blown apart. Hence, 'out of nothing'.

Feedback welcomed, appreciated, and rewarded with tomorrow's random drabble!

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	4. Requiescat in Pace

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Requiscat in Pace: _ 'May he rest in Peace'

*is drinking far too much relentless* Yesm I have developed something of an addiction to the caffeine-filled epicness of RELENTLESS, which has quite possibly sent me off the wall. Ah well.

This drabble is L-centric, written in first person, set in the second Death Note live action movie. So...spoilers fro L's real name, and the plot of 'The Last Name'. L Lawliet considers what he's giving up in order to beat Kira. It's...quite a bit longer than the others, since writing comes easier if I'm using first person :D

*Spoiler*

For those who have only read the manga or seen the anime...in order to keep the films a normal length, the story is altered so that L uses his initiative to beat Kira. He does this by writing his own name in the Death Note, and giving himself 23 days to prove his guilt. He then traps him in a similar fashion to the way Near does in that arc of the manga. In short, L kills himself to catch Kira.

*End spoiler*

............

**... Entry Four - January 20****th****, 2009 ...**

**... **_**Requiescat in Pace**___**...**

I had never really thought about who would kill me in the end. It was not a question I allowed myself to think about all that often. Of course, putting thought into what might happen to me after I died (for I knew I would have the furthest thing from a long, happy life that there ever could be) was something that did cross my mind on occasion, which, I believe, is fairly normal for a young human being. And I am not that old.

At any rate, I digress. It was always a given that I would somehow be killed_ by_ someone...this was of course the reason I kept my identity so well secret. There were many people who were not fond of me...and I had a number of dangerous enemies. It came with the title of 'L' and the contract, but at the age I was when I took on the job, this was all of little consequence. I was clever, almost inhumanly so, and the thought of doing something so challenging and exciting became the be all and end all, as far as I was concerned. So, from a very early age, I had come to the conclusion that I would not live for very long, and that I would eventually be killed by some enemy, some cleverly laid plan...someone who required me dead.

I just never expected it to be me.

My plan. My requirement for my death. It was all so obvious to me, and I saw no other way of doing it. Perhaps, I reflected later, had I been less brash (being so reckless was unlike me in the first place, I had never jumped into such a huge commitment before – and there is no bigger commitment than signing one's own death warrant), I may have been able to win this game without sacrificing my life for it. But I doubted it. If I hadn't have written my name in the Death Note whilst it was in my possession, Raito Yagami surely would have...or would have had someone unwittingly do it for him, since he still lacked that crucial information, my true name. Still, giving myself 23 days, the longest possible time, was easier than one would have expected. I had of course, stared at the thin black thing for a long time before making my decision, though at the time, it appeared recklessly impromptu to Watari, whose look of shock and horror had been a slight comfort.

It was, after all, nice to know that someone cared about my existence...although scrawling 'L Lawliet' into those pages would probably have been a lot harder had I had many other people in my life.

It had come as a shock when Watari was killed. I found out afterwards that the shinigami 'Rem' had been responsible. It was the first time I had ever been so utterly and completely stunned. I never imagined he would be in any danger. It was...upsetting; the man had been my friend, mentor and caretaker practically my whole life...and I had to finish the case without him. I was not adaptable by any means, in fact you could say I was completely useless at becoming accustomed to new situations, but I reasoned I had very little time to worry about acting entirely on my own initiative, especially since most if not all of my actions previously were thought out and initiated by me, it was just strange not to have Watari as my spokesman and 'field' man, as it were. I had to _organise_, which was definitely something I wasn't used to doing. Still, my scheme worked. I cannot say with honesty I was happy that Raito died...after all, it was so rare for me to find someone I could have an intelligent discussion with (even if that discussion was the not-so-playful banter consisting of accusations, threats and theories), and if I was frank about it...I would miss it.

There was little satisfaction to be found in watching him die. Of course, I was childish, I'd won, and relished that thought...but since I'd had to quite literally kill myself to do it...it was something of a hollow victory. I had no idea when I wrote my name down whether or not I would rest peacefully. Was there anything I wanted to accomplish? Something else I needed to do? I'd taken on my longest, toughest and most exhausting case. And I'd solved it. What else was there?

Soichiro Yagami spoke with me on this issue. I thought he would be angry with me for proving his son guilty of being Kira...but, and I have to admit I was taken by surprise for the second time in my life, he was....almost proud of me. He reminded me that I'd been right all along, even when the entire taskforce was against me. Soichiro was the one who found it sad that I had not thought there was more to life than the cases I took on. To which I casually reminded him that I had no family, and no real friends to speak of...and that I actually enjoyed working on the cases. Especially since I only chose the interesting ones.

Yet another childish trait. And didn't I have a lot of them. Looking back, I almost laugh...it must have been difficult for those few who did know me to take me seriously, something I (interestingly) feel quite proud of. I've always been childish and, yes, immature, but it's almost a signature. Life would be boring if I were like any other random law enforcer.

I never complained. That I _can_ say. But...maybe I do regret that nobody really knew me. Certainly, I'll be remembered, and as a genius detective at that...but I think I might be sorry that no one will remember me as Lawliet.

............

Well that was a little sadder than I anticipated. It's about a thousand words, so it's a long drabble XD. I love L to pieces, and this piece only worked with reference to the movie version of Death Note. Which I liked by the way. I know it got a very mixed reaction.

Catch you all tomorrow.

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	5. Taedium I

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Taedium: _ 'boredom'

...and the 'I' just represents that it's part one.

First of a set of 'Ryuk-musings' that will occur throughout the year. This one focuses on Raito, since he's the first to encounter Ryuk in Death Note.

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Five - January 21****st****, 2009 ...**

**... **_**Taedium I**___**...**

Humans were interesting. It was a thought he upheld throughout his time on Earth with Raito Yagami and his circle of friends, followers, rivals, and team members.

And no human was more interesting than Raito himself. The child was insatiable, once he'd come around to the idea of the Death Note, something Ryuk was relieved about, since humans who never used it were boring. Raito's ideals were noble of course; ridding the World of criminals was a genius idea. But then, Ryuk pondered, a lot of things that are good ideas initially turn into catastrophes when brought into reality. Being a shinigami, he had been around long enough to see some of these ideas bring about worldwide panic and fighting. Oh yes. Humans were a fascinating lot.

The funniest thing was watching Raito make the slow transition from innocent model teenager to psychopathic, power hungry murderer. Ryuk had known all along that the young man would move on from criminals. Which, of course, was what made this little game Raito Yagami and L Lawliet were playing appealing. (And that was another thing; it was incredibly gratifying to know the Machiavellian detective's real name when it was the one thing that drove Raito right to the brink of insanity.) He followed Raito around by necessity, but he wasn't going to complain. He didn't choose the boy by any means, but he was glad it was him who picked up the Death Note, for Ryuk had the feeling that he wouldn't have had nearly as much fun following around someone not so intelligent, or someone without such an intense sense of justice.

And that was another funny humanism. Justice was one of the funniest words he had ever come across. He knew that people like Raito and L had cynical, but very skewed ideas of what the word meant, which made it all the more fun for him to watch them both vainly try to make the other understand. Their passionate rivalry was something Ryuk found terribly amusing. Perhaps shinigami could feel, since he was aware of the fates of Gelus and Rem (he wasn't sure if he'd forgiven Raito for killing Rem yet, he had rather enjoyed the other shinigami's company), but he maintained that emotions like hatred, love and passion evaded him. Did he care?

Of course not. There was only one emotion that interested Ryuk, and that was simple curiosity.

............

Relatively short entry today! :D

I wanted to do something from Ryuk's point of view, and this is the first part of an ongoing set of musings that will be spread out over the next couple of months. I'm not sure what tomorrow's drabble will be about yet, but as usual, any requests are welcome, and most all requests will be taken, since 365 ideas is going to be difficult!

Thanks for reading!

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	6. Veritas

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Veritas: _ 'Truth'

L wants the truth, and Raito gives it to him, albeit in a slightly unorthodox manner. Slightly dark-themed Raito x L. It's also slightly off timeline wise. But whatever, the idea was given to me by someone else, and I want to do it ^^

If you don't like boys kissing, don't read it. Simple as.

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Six - January 22****nd****, 2009 ...**

**... **_**Veritas**___**...**

Heavy rain lashed at the windows, the dark clouds obscuring the moon and throwing them into darkness. Flashes of lightning illuminated the room every so often, and L sat up. The detective let out a low, annoyed noise and slid off the bed, meaning to close the curtains in the hope of blocking out at least some of the noise the rain was making.

"Ryuzaki?" Raito eyed the older man pensively.

"...I thought Raito-kun was asleep..." L said uncertainly, blinking. Raito inwardly smirked. He didn't think he'd ever encountered a person with as much pent-up paranoia. He watched the other man tug the curtains closed and climb back into bed. After a while he rolled on his side. "Do you ever sleep?" He asked, a hint of amusement tinting his voice. The detective turned dark eyes on him. They looked strange in the darkness, almost creepily so. L considered the question. "Hmm...not really."

"Too paranoid?"

"....what?" The look on the other's face was entertaining. Raito decided to play on the detective's fears. It may well work out for him, since L's paranoia was already a cause for concern amongst the taskforce members, and if he could mess with the older man's brilliant mind enough to turn that paranoia into outright fear...well that would be a bonus. Raito thought over his reply.

"Scared that I'll do something to you while you sleep? Kill you?"

"..." There was a very tense pause. The detective's eyes were wide as he gazed at Raito searchingly. "...was that a joke, Raito-kun? Or are you trying to tell me you _would_ do something like that?" The uncertainty in L's voice was evident, and Raito grinned.

"You're the one that suspects me of being Kira, Ryuzaki." He said innocently.

"And are you?"

"...we go through this every single night, don't we?"

"That wasn't a no."

"It wasn't a yes, either."

L paused. He seemed to be trying to work Raito out. The younger man grinned. He knew he was confusing L...but he was doing it deliberately after all. That was all part of the fun. He almost lazily reached out and brushed his fingers over the pale skin of the detective's chest. The expected sharp intake of breath came quickly, followed by the quiet warning: "Raito-kun..." Inky eyes blinked at him, reprimand sparkling in them.

All it took was one simple movement. Raito rolled over, pressing his hand on L's upper body and tangling their legs together so he was half on top of the detective, pinning him down. L could hold his own admirably in a fistfight, but here, pinned by an intense stare and strong hands, he was powerless. Which was the idea. Raito had to have power over the older man somehow; L drove him insane pretty much constantly during the day – after dark it was his turn. The detective let out a small noise of discomfort. "You're doing this on purpose..."

"Doing what?" Raito teased.

"...being evasive."

"You call this being evasive? I'd call it being _invasive_."

L had no reply for that. Raito leaned down so their faces were inches apart. L glared at him. "What does this achieve?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." It was gratifying to know that he had this strong a hold on the detective, who may be outwardly expressing his distress at the situation...but as always, was not struggling or making the move to push Raito off. L made a frustrated sound. "Tell me the truth!" He gasped, exasperated. Raito smirked. He didn't miss the sudden strength of the other's voice. The dull monotone was replaced by something different, something more passionate. Something that had expression in it. It was all too easy to silence the distressed detective, Raito mused, as he pressed their lips together. The slight sigh of acquiescence was the best part; when the genius gave into him without protest. It gave Raito a sense of dominance, which considering he was younger and supposedly less of a genius than the other, was intensely satisfying. He loved the reactions he got: when his fingers brushed ivory skin, L would tense and tremble under his touch, when his lips traced the contours of the other's prominent collarbone, he would gasp and shiver.

And it was not until much later, with the sleeping detective (for he would sleep, and Raito would be the one to make sure it happened) lying in his arms, when he would finally whisper the answer to the anxious question.

"Yes...I am Kira."

............

Heh. That went an oddly different direction to the original plan. BUT there we go, this is how my mind works.

I hope they weren't WAY ooc, because...I don't like ooc. Reviews are love. Tomorrow: Misa thinks about Light.

Thanks,

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	7. Manus Domini

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Manus Domini: _ 'The hand of God'

Misa on Light, the Death Note, and being Kira's second.

(side note...whether I call Light 'Light', 'Kira' or 'Raito' depends very much on my mood, or which version of DN I have recently watched. Apologies for mix-ups, but it WILL vary, since I fail at consistency ^^. The same goes for 'L' 'Ryuzaki', or on the odd occasion, 'Lawliet'. I'm just useless like that.)

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Seven - January 23****rd****, 2009 ...**

**... **_**Manus Domini**___**...**

It's not easy being the girlfriend of Kira. No! Wait! Don't laugh at me!

Give me a chance to show you the real Misa. Just because I'm blonde, bubbly and slightly (okay very) clingy...does not give you the right to disregard me.

People think I'm stupid, and I suppose, they're right. Compared to Light, I'm really not very clever at all. I know he thinks I'm useless, too. Perhaps what you aren't seeing is that there's more to me than meets the eye. They don't really see it, either. In fact, out of the two of them...Ryuzaki and Light, that is, under the surface, Ryuzaki is the nicer of the two (although his version of nice isn't generic in the slightest...after all, he did kidnap me and lock me up...so, maybe he's not so nice.)

But Light is the one I'm in love with. Light is the one who brought justice. He avenged my family, and perhaps that is why I am so subservient. I owe him my life, in a way. He brought me out of the pain of losing my loved ones by not only bringing the criminal to justice, but by giving me someone new to love. I have a lot of love to give, and whilst you may think I'm a cold, uncaring bitch who does nothing but make her 'God' happy by killing people...I actually have a big heart. Just...perhaps by giving it to the wrong person, I ended up being not so big-hearted after all. That doesn't mean I'm weak. I don't think anyone who can write a name in that horror of a notebook can be weak. I didn't know I could take a human life, and that scares me...that it was so easy. Easy. It was so...intoxicating to have that power. On second thoughts...perhaps using the Death Note does make you weak. There's a sobering thought.

Me and Light...we're a team, we're Kira. Well, he is; I'm more like...a second. Kira's second. And I know I'm sure how I feel about that. Light is my hero, so I'm happy to be with him, even if it means killing people with the Death Note. The killing itself...well, I have to be honest, I wasn't always vicious. Before my family died, I was different. But horrible things change people, and what happened to me and my family was such a thing. Light Yagami gave me a reason to exist again (and my fame, whilst I enjoyed it, left me feeling lonely and controlled), and I would do anything that man asked me. Without question, just so that he would love me. I am aware of how pathetic that sounds, but I desperately wanted someone to love me the way I loved them....it's all very well being internationally famous and loved by men worldwide....but how many of them knew the real me?

The killer?

Only Light. Only my Light. I don't know, I think I just want people to understand why I did the things I did. I realise that I'm responsible for a lot of deaths. Directly. But...no, then again, I guess some things cannot be excused. But I'll go on doing it, because my mind is made up, and if there is one thing I am sure of, it is that I am stubborn. I'll see this through to the end, whatever that end may be...and just hope that Light and I come out alright afterwards. Because, more than anything, I want a future that is ours. Not Kira's...but ours. Light-and-Misa's. Strange as it is...I'd like to have children. Maybe just one or two...but I'd like to be a mother. It would be such a contrast to being Kira's second. So...I'll wait for the conclusion.

Maybe then the killing will end.

............

That was surprisingly difficult. I tried to make her writing more eloquent and structured as it went on, as though she was gathering her thoughts, etc. So, whilst it started very childishly, she got more mature. It was short, but I'm sure there'll be more Misa at some point, since I actually quite enjoyed thinking like her. I hope she was in character, I tried to retain the ditzy, bubbly (and slightly annoying) side of her, but portray a 'secret side', as it were.

Reviews are welcomed, loved, and enjoyed :)

Philosopher's Queen

xxx


	8. Alae Iacta Est

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Alae Iacta Est: _ 'The die is cast'

Mello, Matt, and saying goodbye.

Again, a pairing-flavoured one, this time, obviously, Mello x Matt. Not graphic. At all. In fact, it could just be strong friendship....up until the last couple of paragraphs. So, if you aren't into boys being together, read up to that part. Because I enjoyed writing as Matt and it'd be a shame :D

Thought I'd warn you anyway. Asked for by 'Luminosity'

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Eight - January 24****th****, 2009 ...**

**... **_**Alea Iacta Est**___**...**

Matt watched his blond friend out of the corner of his eye, flicking the butt of his cigarette out of the window with a sigh. They had been talking, until Mello had oh-so-graciously told him to 'shut up'. He didn't mind all that much, he hadn't been talking about anything important, and Mello was not the only person to prefer the silence. Gaming was easier if it was quiet after all.

He put the idle chatter down to nervousness. On the outside, he was calm, as usual, but he wasn't half worried about what Mello had asked him to do. He'd been dragged into this mess despite a wish to be kept apart from it; he had no interest in Kira, or L particularly, but he never said no to Mello. There was too much there, too much he held dear. Still, this...venture he was doing today...he just had that awful feeling of dread. Not only was it going to be almost impossible to pull off, there was no way he'd escape the bodyguards, especially since there were rather a lot of them. So he supposed the best he could hope for would be that they just arrested him so he could break out later.

He thought vaguely about having another cigarette, but the chances were it would give Mello something to yell about (he did not care for Matt's habit, something Matt thought was grossly unfair, since the older boy's addiction to chocolate was probably just as bad), and he thought he'd rather avoid the argument. However dangerous his side of the plan was, Mello's was worse. If Takada carried the death note...well, Mello's name was now common knowledge. But no amount of desperate persuasion could make the other change his mind. He glanced at his watch and let out a sigh. "Guess we'd better go...she'll be where we need her to be pretty soon." He stood.

Mello blinked and watched him make for the door. Just as he was about to leave, he called out. "Matt, wait."

Well that was odd. For once, Mello sounded as nervous as the redhead felt. Matt turned, forcing a smile on his face. "Hmm?"

"...you're scared." It was not a question, and the younger boy made a face.

"Yeah, well you always could see right through me..." He said in a slightly whiny voice. He leant against the door way. "Okay, I'm nervous. This is a really dangerous idea."

"Wimp."

"You know what, Mello, that isn't fucking funny!" Matt knew that his carefully calm exterior was falling apart, since it was only Mello who could do it. "I'd quite like to live a bit longer, actually!" That had been very...final. He realised this as Mello's face contorted. Apparently he'd been avoiding the issue in _his_ head too. Matt angrily brushed a hand across his face; the other would not forgive childish tears. But if he was honest...he was scared. Scared of being shot, scared of _dying_. And...he thought that he could sense that this misadventure was not something either would live through.

He was not aware that he'd sunk to the floor until strong arms were wrapped around him. "Matt..." Mello murmured, pulling the younger close.

The redhead leant against the blond, his shoulders shaking. He mentally cursed the display of emotion – it was not in his nature to be overly expressive. "I just have that feeling." He knew he needn't explain further. He felt Mello nod from where his head was resting on the younger's shoulder.

"Yeah. Me too. But...this is the only way to do it."

"Don't you think you're being rash?"

"Yes, I'll admit that, at least, but damnit, Matt..." He didn't need to finish. Matt knew how much all this stuff meant to Mello, even if it wasn't at the forefront of his own mind. Not needing to say much was a speciality of theirs.

After a moment, the two reached some sort of unspoken agreement and stood up. Matt shook himself, pulling himself together. Somehow, it seemed inappropriate to say 'see you later'. When it was clear that, even if one of them survived this, the chances of both of them being alright at the end were highly slim, it was kind of futile. A forlorn hope. Damn, he should stop thinking.

"Goodbye, Mel." The urge to say 'see you later' anyway was paramount. Mello looked as though he would scoff at the way Matt had said it, but evidently he chose not to. Instead he brushed his lips against the smaller boy's cheek. "Thought we'd agreed no messy goodbye's this morning." He murmured. Yes, it was clear Mello had his own reservations about how this 'mission' would go.

"Yeah. I know." He linked his fingers with Mello's and held so tightly he almost feared that one or other of their hands might break. There was too much he wanted to say, and not enough time for it.

So he left without another word, leaving the blond behind.

............

That was fantastically depressing. That is...pretty much all I have to say on this piece.

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	9. Gemini

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Gemini: _ 'Twins'

Beyond, on L Lawliet, 'A' and obsession.

Spoilers for 'Another Note'

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Nine - January 25****th****, 2009 ...**

**... **_**Gemini**___**...**

Beyond Birthday wasn't exactly aware of his terrifying descent into insanity. People rarely are. What he did know was that he would be better than L. He would not only succeed L, he would _be_ L, and then he would surpass him. After A's suicide, (which Beyond blamed entirely on L Lawliet, despite the fact that in truth, L probably had little to do with it, at least directly) Beyond swore revenge, since A died because of undue pressure put on him to inherit a title he didn't want. Not that he particularly cared for the other successor; it was just another excuse to justify his obsession with L.

Obsession. That was a word Beyond was familiar with. He was possessed by the wild desire to get L's attention, and his obsession was bordering on infatuation. He was fascinated by the eccentricities of the man, and as such adopted them as his own, losing everything that made him Beyond, and replacing it with madness and schizophrenia.

The desire to be L soon got replaced by the desire to simply attract the detective's attention, and what better way than to plan the perfect murders...begin a killing spree so clever it would have to draw the interests of a man who never simply took a case for the sake of justice. (and this was a pet hate of his...the man called himself justice, but really only solved cases because he was bored, and therefore only picked those he found intriguing) So he did. Attracting the older man's attention was far too easy, since all he had to do was leave some vicious clues, and L would be on him like a shot. Playing out the game was simple.

And then for the conclusion.

He would prove to L that he, Beyond, could outwit him, by making the case unsolvable. He would be the case L couldn't solve. Killing himself was a thought he entertained a lot. Other than being very poetic, it would show L how wrong he had been trying to raise kids to be his successors. And if Beyond wasn't insane before Naomi Misora, working for L himself, stopped him from bringing the case (and his life) to a conclusion...he certainly was afterwards.

Because by not dying, he had failed.

............

There. A little insight into the mind of Beyond Birthday. One scary dude. Felt quite sorry for L, must have been really creepy having someone mimic you...

XD

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	10. Nomen Novum I

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Nomen Novum I: _ 'New Name'

L, on Mihael Keehl.

(Note: it is not necessarily true that Mello was the first child after A and B. I'm playing on the fact that Mello was L's favourite, despite Near being first. And, yes, Mello being his favourite IS true *is a geek and knows too much*. A lot of the other 'facts' in this are entirely made up by me, to fill in the blanks.)

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Ten - January 26****th****, 2009 ...**

**... **_**Nomen Novum**__** I **_**...**

Mihael Keehl was the first child in the orphanage who was allowed to choose his own name. After the horrific incident with A and the flight of B (both of whom may well have resented being assigned letters of the alphabet instead of real names) Wammy, Roger and L decided it would be more prudent to let the impressionable youngsters decide for themselves.

It was L himself who found Mihael, sat on the steps of a smouldering Church, somewhere in Eastern Europe, (and no, the exact place was not about to be revealed) tear stained, platinum blond hair dirty and streaked with...something...and grasping a blood-red rosary that was clearly too big for a child of his age (and height?) to be holding. He was shivering from the cold, something L could relate to, since he himself had had to wear a coat to counter the icy temperature, something he wasn't comfortable with in the least. He had stood and stared at the kid for quite some time, possibly looking a bit stupid. The boy stared right back, his intense blue eyes glittering and sparkling with intelligence.

For once in his life, L was unnerved.

And he decided that he admired the boy, who could not have been more than seven or eight, for it. So, he took the first step towards utterly changing the shivering child's life, and walked over to him. He had sat down, somewhat awkwardly next to him. The boy stared. L shifted a little and let his gaze wander over the ruined church and the equally ruined town, wondering exactly where the child had come from. No-one else appeared to be alive.

"What's your name?" He asked, speaking the country's language easily. The child blinked mistrustfully and said nothing. L sighed. He wasn't exactly experienced with talking to children. (then again, he had not been doing his detective work for very long, he was still very young himself) But he could not in good conscience leave the child here to die from the cold. Remembering this, he slipped the big coat off one of his shoulders and wrapped it around the boy, who visibly jumped. He then did precisely what L had predicted, which was curl up as close as he could to the warmth – the childlike desire for an escape from the biting cold overcoming the mistrust. Still he gave no name, however, and L wasn't about to look stupid and ask for it again. Odd, he didn't normally care about appearance, but somehow, it seemed to matter now.

So, L talked instead, another thing he wasn't used to doing, at least socially. He told the boy stories of some of the things he'd done, appreciating the reverent, unwavering blue gaze. He never took his eyes off of L, and briefly the detective wondered what sort of childhood he'd had. The stories he told were possibly a little too intense for the boy, after all, they were full of murder, blood and criminals, but, unnervingly, the blond child seemed to drink it all in...and understand. Which was...different, admittedly. He told him about Beyond Birthday, and the very recent LA murder cases After a little while, the cold became just a little too much, and he rang Watari to inform him he was done, and to please send transport. Then he turned to the boy. "I'm L."

The child blinked, recognition lighting up his eyes. So he knew of 'L', then. The detective wondered, again, how this child had grown up, to be so sharp...and to have some idea of who L was.

"Mihael." He replied, the accented, childish voice punctuating the silence left in the wake of L's revelation. The detective smiled. Perhaps he was better at this than he thought.

............

Undoubtedly my favourite drabble so far.

Part II tomorrow, since the story needs to run on to be finished.

In canon, L is ten years older than Mello, so here they were eight and eighteen.

Whilst the concept of L story-telling seems a bit off, Mello _did_ at some point have a few of L's adventures regaled to him by the detective. He was the only Wammy child to have met L, and that is where his passion and drive to solve the Kira case came from. I think he's one of the most interesting characters in Death Note. XD *grins*

Thanks for reading.

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	11. Nomen Novum II

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Nomen Novum II: _ 'New Name'

L, on Mihael Keehl. Continuation of yesterday's drabble, since to keep them short I split them it into two parts. I MAY turn these details into a full-length story about young Mello. If anyone is vaguely interested. I'll run it alongside this year's project.

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Eleven - January 27****th****, 2009 ...**

**... **_**Nomen Novum**__** II **_**...**

'Mihael' kept quiet throughout the journey back to England, quite possibly spooked by the appearance of other adults. He held L's hand and sat in silence, his hand gripping the rosary tightly. In a flash of inspiration the young detective had given him chocolate, supposing he was hungry but having nothing vaguely nutritious on the helicopter. (He was L after all.) After that, the boy had not left L's side. He had even grinned cheekily up at the detective. Arriving in England was not difficult, the name 'L' already commanded enough respect for the authorities to not need to query the appearance of a ragged, messy-haired child. He was with L, so they couldn't question it. Driving to Wammy's, L shared another story with Mihael, who, this time, asked a question or two of his own. Afterwards, the blond child asked, "Where are we going?"

"To Wammy's house. You'll stay there, and be raised by the caretaker. You'll have a good education here."

"...you're going to leave me?"

What extraordinary perception. He had to admit, he was getting somewhat attached to the intelligent child he'd discovered in the middle of nowhere. He simply nodded. Mihael shrugged, looking like he understood. "Can you speak English?" L asked.

"A bit. Only in prayers."

"You're religious?"

Mihael had clearly decided that question was too stupid to dignify with an answer as he played with his rosary. L smirked to himself. "You'll have to learn."

"We're in England, aren't we?"

Again, the detective grinned, the car speeding them towards the orphanage. "You'll need to choose yourself a new name. An alias. For your safety." The boy stared at him for a long time. He seemed to be thinking hard. Eventually he looked up. "Can I think about it?" His blue eyes blinked rapidly. L nodded, giving the affirmative, and the child went back to staring out the window, watching the countryside whizz by. L also remained quiet for this journey. He marvelled at the ability of children to simply let horror pass them by. Mihael seemed largely unaffected by the trauma of being the sole survivor of a catastrophe. He seemed like a fairly mellow child. Although perhaps he was repressing his memories. If that was the case, he should warn Roger about possible violent future behaviour.

The boy took in the huge white house, blinking at the brightness. He seemed somewhat in awe of the place, and L remembered his reaction when he'd first come here, and grinned at how similar it was to this boy's. Mihael, still holding the rosary, walked with him to the front door.

"I won't be coming in with you." Brilliant blue eyes stared, and the child nodded. "This is Roger. He'll look after you. You have to pick a name now."

There was a pause, before the eyes flashed so intensely L was momentarily taken aback. "...Mello. Spelt my way. Not the English way." And it would not be the last time L would wonder how much of a coincidence the blond boy's choice of name was, and he made a mental note to let less emotion cross his features. Could the child really read him that easily?

L never forgot the blue-eyed, blond haired boy who called himself Mello. After all, a child like that was hard to disregard.

............

Part 2 :)

Fairly short today, since it's just a tail-end of yesterday ^^

Catch you all tomorrow, and thanks for reading.

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	12. Mea Culpa

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Mea Culpa: _ 'My fault'

L, on reflection of the Kira case.

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Twelve - January 28****th****, 2009 ...**

**... **_**Mea Culpa**___**...**

If I get asked, by anyone (not, of course, that it happens often) how the Kira case is going, what they receive in reply is generally a noncommittal noise, a shrug, and an 'it's progressing.' Which generally satisfies those who know me, as it's considerably more communication than I normally give. However, behind the carefully emotionless eyes and the uncaring posture, I shiver each time someone deigns to ask this question of me.

Because I get a horrible sense of guilt. In fact, this tends to happen whenever another new victim of Kira appears. Why is it my fault? I cannot solve this case. At least, not fast enough to prevent more bloodshed. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not so emotionless I don't feel the guilt every time I hear about another death – especially if it is someone who did not deserve it. My time is coming to a close. I believe, no, I _know_ I shall not win this war. Kira knows too much, has too many back-up plans, he's too clever. Ironic that my first real challenge shall end with my demise. I'd like to say it was fun, but with so many thousands – _millions_ – of people involved, there would be little truth in that statement.

I thought I could beat him, you see. I wasn't used to losing. Not only that, I despised it, in an almost childlike manner. This case has taught me a lot about myself. I can now freely admit that I am a selfish, self-obsessed individual. Until now, anyway. Impending demise can do this to a person. I'm now feeling the horror of the unknown, and suddenly I'm sympathising with all the millions of victims I couldn't reach in time.

In truth...their deaths were my fault. Whether through ignorance, arrogance, or simply not being able to catch the perpetrator in time...they were my fault. It is humbling to be joining the ranks of the deceased, all the people I failed, the people I never considered before now.

I can only hope they will forgive me.

But I wouldn't.

............

REAL short. Mainly because I've been out all day and I'm running out of time? Sorry, I shall endeavour to make longer ones in future...

*can hardly type due to tiredness*

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	13. Auctoritas

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Auctoritas: _ 'Authority'

Matsuda, on 'Ryuzaki' Set long after the end o the series. I decided to do this because I was asked to include Matsuda. Also, I wanted to think about Matsuda's thoughts on the eccentric detective he worked under. *shrug*

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Thirteen - January 29****th****, 2009 ...**

**... **_**Auctoritas**___**...**

He was easily the strangest man I'd ever met. Considering I was a person who almost always got called either strange or just plain stupid...it was an interesting experience. I think I was the only person in the task force who believed Ryuzaki was indeed L straight away. Despite looking like a scruffy teenager (not that I had any idea how old he was – he could well have still been in his teens) with black bags under his eyes and a penchant for snacking on sweets, he commanded a certain...authority. There was almost a sense of mystery about him. His coal eyes, whilst completely devoid of emotion, sparkled with intelligence, and despite his eccentricities, by the time we were well into the case, it had become clear that he was a young man who unconsciously commanded respect, his dedication and hard work becoming the driving force of the investigation.

I'd like to say I trusted everything he said...but unfortunately that would not be true...I didn't want to believe that he was right about Light Yagami being Kira. When I found out he'd been right all along, and it had cost him his life...I was so angry I reacted without thinking. I shot Kira without hesitation. Luckily for him, my aim was never that brilliant...although he died fairly soon after that anyway. Still. I felt a huge sense of guilt. I had liked Ryuzaki (despite the constant references to my stupidity) and was the only one to not get cross with him on numerous occasions.

Working with him was...difficult. He was a pain to cater for (in more ways than one, the obsession with sweets was enough to drive any sane person mad) and his unorthodox methods of handling the investigation grated on our nerves and senses of justice. But in the end of course, Near's methods were just as unorthodox, and Mello's even more so. It was just a shame someone so brilliant as Ryuzaki had to die to bring Kira to justice.

...........

Yes, they're going to be staying this sort of length, since I'll be back in classes very soon! I've enjoyed my time off, but back to work means less time to work on stories! Expect more from Matsuda...I actually rather like him.

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	14. Ad Honorem

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Ad Honorem: _ 'For the honour'

Raito wonders why he decided to become Kira. Set during the 'L' arc.

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Fourteen - January 30****th****, 2009 ...**

**... **_**Ad Honorem**___**...**

In all honesty, there is no one reason I can unequivocally pin down when I ask myself why I decided to use the Death Note to remove criminals and ultimately, become a God. Certainly, the God part was not an initial thought, it came much later on, after a sizable ego boost that I could put down to the presence of L in the investigation. I felt like it was somehow very satisfying to not only have caught the interest of the aforementioned detective, but to be evading capture? To be confusing him and continuing to operate right under his nose? Certainly he suspected me – of course he did, he was not number one for no reason...but I had made it so he could not prove it was me. This, bizarrely, was possibly the most satisfying part of being Kira. Killing the criminals became the job, whereas the challenge of L became the game. A game that I would be winning. I had the whole thing planned out...it would take months, but it would be worth it to smirk in Ryuzaki's face at the end of it all. Just to see his reaction.

Of course, the original plans were much more...saintly. I would eliminate criminals, and sin, and replace it with perfection. Gradually this evolved until I decided I would lead this perfection. After all, who better to be in charge than the legendary Kira? For by this time that was what I was known as.

And Kira was a God. To most people, he was the key to a less sinful society, a judgement card, as it were. It only fuelled that belief in the spiritual that I could perform these executions with just a few seconds of time, a pen, and the killer notebook. If only L knew about the notebook. I'm sure he will discover its existence soon, after all, it's all part of my plan. I hope it shocks him. I'd like to see his expression when he's shocked. I have a feeling it will amuse me. So, then, all of this begs the question...why? Why do this? As I said, there are many reasons, justice, sovereignty...

My own question to you all is...what would you have done?

...........

*insert evil Kira-smirk at the end there*

Hee....I LOVED writing Raito!! He's so much fun! :D I hope you liked that as much as I did.

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	15. Maleficium

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Maleficium: _ 'Malevolent Mischief'

Stephen Gevanni regards Near.

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Fifteen - January 31****st****, 2009 ...**

**... **_**Maleficium**___**...**

It was always hard for me to decide whether Near was innocent, or more like a little devil disguised. He looked like an angel, with white clothes, white skin, white hair and a childish appearance...but having been in his employ for a long time, I know how little like an angel he could really be. Inside that mind of his lay some truly unethical, malevolent, and quite frankly diabolical ideas. If you stripped away all the whiteness and the innocent exterior, the strength of his will could easily match Kira's, and his relentless, almost brutal disregard for human life was certainly the twin of the Yagami boy himself.

And yet...I cannot honestly say that I thought he was evil. He was too...innocent. In matters of social etiquette, or really, anything that was not intellectual or academic...he was hopeless. Naive. He was also the least physical person I'd ever encountered. Part of me wondered if he couldn't walk at all...it certainly seemed plausible, since, whilst I caught him stood up once, he was leaning on the stair rails and putting no weight on his legs. I also entertained the thought that he might be quite severely visually impaired. I'd read that it ran hand in hand with albinism, (not of course, that I knew Near had this, since none of his personal information ever reached my ears...I'd just gone with the assumption, since he had white hair and skin) and it would explain why he never _quite_ looked you in the eye...

But whatever physical flaws the boy had, his intelligence, the sheer brilliance of his mind was a wonder. How a child of his age could have so much brainpower is...quite frankly amazing. Sure, his ideas were unorthodox, his behaviour strange, and his methods dangerously questionable...but in the end, I couldn't bring myself to find him unlikable when he managed (with my help, which I gave, and received the first smile I'd seen him crack that was genuine, and benevolent) to pin Kira down with irrefutable evidence.

It was then I decided that I would balance both his malevolence, and his innocence, and simply call him 'mischievous'. This...seems like the most appropriate term.

............

:)

*love Gevanni*

I actually think Gevanni x Near is sweet too (despite them being about 8 years apart) but luckily for the eyes of you people, I'm not in the habit of writing graphic slash fiction ^^

There you go then, today's little drabble. See you all tomorrow :)

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	16. Dei Gratia

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Dei Gratia: _ 'By the Grace of God'

Mello-centric.

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Sixteen – February 1****st****, 2009 ...**

**... **_**Dei Gratia**___**...**

Mello was always in two minds about going to see Father Jonas. On one hand, he was a catholic, and a religious person. On the other, he was a rather ruthless mafia co-ordinator. It meant a lot of time in the confession box. Obviously there were some things the young blond definitely did not tell the priest, but...Father Jonas knew more about him that anyone, save maybe Matt. He would always remember the most memorable time he had shown up at the little church way out in the countryside, away from prying eyes. It had been very soon after the explosion which almost killed him (and ironically, although he didn't know this at the time – it would be his very last visit), and it had just been him and the pastor in the church.

"Hello again, Mihael."

"Father." The blond nodded. Of course there was no worry about Father Jonas knowing Mello's real name – he was a country priest with no family and an unwavering moral code that forbid him from spilling the young boy's secrets. The old pastor turned with a smile, one which quickly dropped off his face. "Oh, what have you done this time, child?"

"..."

"You really know how to stray from the path, don't you..." Another thing Mello liked, whilst Father Jonas stated that he'd done wrong, there was never any judgement in his voice. (Although he always managed to make Mello feel ashamed.)

The blond twitched awkwardly. "Father...I..."

"Do not worry, Mihael. Our God is forgiving." With that, the exhausted teenager fell to his knees, the old pastor catching him. "Why don't you come and sleep for a while, child..." Mello could only nod numbly.

Later, Mihael would wonder if the old man was just giving him false comfort. He knew visitors to Father Jonas' church were rare, and though him and the pastor shared something of a friendship, he wasn't sure he enjoyed the notion that actually, the God he called his would not forgive him after all. He shook his head as he rode his motorbike through the crowds towards Kira's spokeswoman. He would know soon enough. If, by the grace of God, he survived this, he knew he had a LOT of luck on his side. If he died...well, it would no longer be Father Jonas' job to judge him.

He just really hoped the old man was right.

............

Just a little insight into Mello's religious views. Don't know if they are correct, or anything, but I'm going by the rosary round his neck :D

Catch you all tomorrow. Reviews are love.

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	17. Inveniam Viam

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Inveniam Viam: _ 'I shall either find a way or make one'*

Near-centric.

WOAH. I've been busy today. The weather hates me, I moved into my new flat today, and it picked NOW to send a blooming blizzard. Moving house in a blizzard? Not fun. Well, I lie, we had a bit of a laugh shifting all my stuff :D

We now have a foot on the ground and its STILL coming!

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Seventeen – February 2****nd**** , 2009 ...**

**... **_**Inveniam Viam**_** ..****.**

Although it was not outwardly obvious, I was the most frustrated I had ever been in my short life during those last few weeks of the Kira investigation. Yagami was slipping through my fingers again and again, and more and more people were dying. It seemed almost impossible that I would catch him, pin him down and conclusively prove that he, who dared assume the name of L, a name that had not ever, and indeed would never, truly belong to him, was a murderer.

I would be egotistical if I said that I was the only chance to sae mankind from this demon. To be perfectly honest, I couldn't care less about 'mankind'. Mankind could hang for all I cared, I am selfish by nature (and, if I am honest, nurture) and was only taking on this case (and any other investigation I would ever take on) because it was a duty, a duty that I was always quick to act nonchalant about. I had thought I was unshakable, unwavering in my ability to present such incredible lack of emotion...but my walls were cracking under the strain. Once or twice I had to leave the room and scream in frustration, sheer rage and annoyance that this murderer, someone I was intended to stop, continue to get away with his crimes.

And then I would get even more incensed, since I would become aware quickly that my behaviour matched that of my rival, Mello, someone who had always hated me. The one thing that was sure to get him riled was my nonchalance, my disregard for anything other than my childish games. And now, Kira was shaking that detached, cool, calm exterior, and my head rebelled against that. This was ME. And this me was the one could irritate and annoy the hell out of Mello, something I revelled in even more than my puzzles and toys.

I had to stop Kira. For the sake of my own sanity. I would find a way. And if I didn't, I would make one.

............

Near. Love him.

* the phrase 'Inveniam Viam' actually translates to simply 'I will find a way', but in popular culture, the smaller phrase replaces the more literal translation 'Aut inveniam viam aut faciam' since it is easier to say. (Also, I wasn't about to have a huge long sentence as a title)

See you tomorrow!

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	18. Quid Pro Quo

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Quid Pro Quo: _ 'tit for tat'

DEFINITE fanon...Misa centric. What if she'd gotten tired of Light's fake-love?

OKAY. The move is NEARLY finished, aaaand we have more snow. I have no classes tomorrow, and am going into town to buy more copics and some fur to make my Matt-jacket :D

*is rabid cosplayer*

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Eighteen – February 3****rd**** , 2009 ...**

**... **_**Quid Pro Quo**_** ..****.**

Depression is an interesting state of mind. I have to admit, it took a while for the truth to sink in, but to be honest, I think I'd always known that the man didn't love me...I was just being silly, hopeful, and most of all, I think I was denying that I knew his intentions all along. It hurt. And it took a long time to get over the initial bouts of heartbreaking anguish and seething anger at his treatment of me. Also, it took a lot of careful schooling of my facial features to pretend, to Light of all perceptive people, that I was still pathetically (a word I'd never thought I'd use with regards to myself) in love with him.

The problem was, how was I going to get revenge? For good as I was at concealing my sudden lack of love, I was not the cleverest person on the planet. Until it dawned on me that every day put me in the presence of that very person.

L.

Ryuzaki. He could...but it would involve outing myself as a second Kira. Then again...my life was pretty much a mess anyway. How could it get worse? So...I struck a deal with him. Surprisingly, he agreed very quickly to completely erase all chance of me getting implicated, and...told me I could go free if I helped him win. Between us, we had figured out Light's plan involved Rem, something Ryuzaki informed me he could not have done on his own for he, unlike me, did not know that shinigami could be destroyed by extending the life of a person, and that there was a very high chance that Rem would do that for me.

Rem herself of course, was all too happy to help out and pretend to do as Light willed...since she had always hated him.

And me? I refused to be there when Ryuzaki finally 'outed' him. After all, love cannot disappear altogether. So...I'm writing this down (far too quickly, probably) because after this, I shall be erasing all memories of the Death Note...and asking Rem to include memories of Light with it.

............

Short, but yeah. I wish Misa hadn't been so desperately pathetic :(

All of this is complete fanon. I don't know if Rem could erase Misa's memories of Light. But for the purposes of this story...we'll go with yes.

*sigh*

Philosopher's Queen

xxx


	19. Fons et Origio

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Fons et Origio: _ 'source and origin'

Watari, on the conception of 'L'.

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Nineteen – February 4****th**** , 2009 ...**

**... **_**Fons et Origio**_** ..****.**

II was never a man who was at odds with the world, I'll say that for certain. As far as people go, I was certainly very mild-mannered and non-confrontational, so, as such, I'm never entirely sure what the exact reasoning behind the conception of 'L' is. And I do not mean, here, the child I raised who would eventually become said famous detective...I mean the idea. After all, all great things begin with an idea.

The boy himself...well it was I who gave him the name 'L' (he had none before this, he merely called himself 'Lawliet', which I assumed to be a surname, although I never found out one way or the other). At first, I never saw that it may have been cruel to simply assign the child a letter for a name and be done with it, it was just simple, and seemed to fit it's purpose. For I saw in Lawliet an unmatched intelligence, and an incredible mind that I could mould and guide... and so I created this super-detective.

Obviously he became more to me than simply 'L', it was often as if he were my own son, especially when he was young, and happy. Unfortunately the life I chose for him left him with many emotional scars, and so he ended up shutting himself off from the outside world.

But I digress. I can talk of L Lawliet himself another time. Originally, 'L' was created to combat the most difficult criminal cases in the world, an idea I believed was fabulous, just and right. I had at my disposal (and not for the first time, I sigh and wonder what I had done to this child) a genius, a perfect boy who looked up to me, and would do pretty much whatever I asked of him. And what to do once he had taken on the role expected of him? I founded an orphanage for gifted children in the hopes of raising an heir to the name of L.

Time and again I wondered exactly how selfish I was being, treating this children almost like some sort of experiment. You see, they were none of them quite...normal. I assumed this was down to their unnaturally great intelligence, but sometimes I wonder if it was not more due to their burdens. We had great expectations of them...and certainly boys like Beyond Birthday and Mihael Keehl were driven to crime and wayward behaviour by our constant pressure on them, and their own desire to be the best.

Was it worth it? To watch these kids fall apart? Because, they all will...

............

Hmm. I often think that the Wammy kids were neglected. Not obviously neglected as in basic rights and things....but I think they lacked affection in their childhoods, perhaps. They were all a bit odd after all ^^

ANYWAY. A glance into the mind of a slightly guilty Watari?

See you tomorrow XD

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	20. Sine Nomine

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Sine Nomine: _ 'without a name'

L, on his true name.

Yeah. Had something of a crisis last night that prevented me from putting this up...which is a shame, but obviously there'll be two over the course of today...thanks for understanding (I hope)

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Twenty – February 5****th****, 2009 ...**

**... **_**Sine Nomine**_** ..****.**

Ever since I can remember, I have never had what could possibly constitute as a first name. Most of the time, this does not bother me, but occasionally, just occasionally, I wonder why. I had to have had parents at some point, so...did they not love me enough to even give me a name? The entire concept of love is one that I have essentially shut off, and if I were a psychologist I could turn around and blame it on my mother, whoever she was, for abandoning me. I could never, I don't think, bring myself to love someone, simply because of the connotations. What it would involve. I'm naturally a closed off person, and I can safely say (ironically on more than one count) that no-one knows the true me.

In fact I'm not even sure I do. I don't know whether that's sad upsetting or sad stupid. I can't really say I resent Watari for giving me 'L' as a first name (at the time I didn't understand that it was not a perfectly legitimate choice) since he did practically raise me, and most of the time, I was treated as well as if I were a son. But there was the underlying feeling that I was missing something. Something important. Was it as simple as missing having someone care? It could not be, since I had Watari, still, it was something that I often pondered in those rare moments I had nothing better to think about. Being a detective (and eventually the top detective) kept me busy enough to not worry all that much about my distinct lack of a childhood.

The most amusing thing about my name has to be the resemblance to the female name 'Elle', which, if I were not in the habit of keeping everything but the letter L itself a secret (and how Light would fume if he knew my real name was staring him right in the face), would have been an issue I would have resented. As it happened, I was not in a position to resent much of anything, for no-one ever outsmarted me. Perhaps this is arrogant, but I feel it's valid. The fact that I am in the midst of my most difficult case, and indeed, the only case to have lasted such a huge amount of time, is irrelevant. I'm still number one, after all.

............

L again. Probably love him too much.

Again, sorry about the lateness of this entry. I fail.

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	21. Para Bellum

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Para Bellum_: 'prepare for war'

Light, just after L's stunt with Lind L Taylor.

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Twenty One – February 6****th****, 2009 ...**

**... Para Bellum**** ..****.**

The stunt did not anger me as much as it entertained me. I was already firmly of the opinion that I was doing the right thing, and as far as I was concerned, L did not have a hope of catching me. Sure, he may know the region in which I resided, but there were hundreds of people living here. Plus I had that one huge advantage.

The Death Note. For who would ever suspect a notebook of killing people? Especially one as well hidden as this one. Still, I would have to be careful, since my use of the police database, and the obviousness of my ability to do so, was sure to draw attention to the police force, and by extension, their families. I knew that L was not stupid, he had just proved that. Annoyingly enough. I would have to devise a way to know if anyone had been in my room, one that was not glaringly obvious.

Honestly? I was not scared of being caught in the slightest. L did not have anything on me, and even if he did, I would make it so there was no proof at all. As long as I kept to the level of thought and planning I was currently operating at, I would kill him before he confirmed that I was in fact Kira. I knew I would have to get close to him to do this however...which would mean drawing him here. Hopefully that was already taken care of, since he had told me he knew I was here. And if he didn't come...I'd have to leave another hint. A message or two. Something to wind him up, frustrate him. It would not be difficult.

And of course, I'm not the sort of person to back down from a challenge.

............

Evil Light writing is fun :D

I still love L more though.

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	22. Pater Familias

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Pater Familias_: 'father of the family'

Soichiro, on L and Light.

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Twenty Two – February 7****th****, 2009 ...**

**... Pater Familias**** ..****.**

It has been a long time since I thought about the deceased detective who had once led the case against Kira, the position having been filled by my own son. However, in the years following his death, I began to wonder who he had really been, and what his life had been like. I was not fond of him when I first met him, he was petty and childish, and what's more, he ordered us around despite being junior in age to many of us, if not all.

I think my view changed after Light joined the team. Watching the two of them interact was at times funny, and sometimes downright frustrating. When they fought, it was near impossible to separate them, and fight they did, physically, like children. But...despite L's unorthodox way of keeping Light under constant supervision...he was beginning to grow on me. His eccentricities became endearing, and comparing him to my son became commonplace. If they ever fell asleep at the desks (which happened often, despite the detective's claims of insomnia) we would not wake either of them, for we knew they stayed up long into the night working on the case together.

Sometimes it was as though they were their own team, set apart from us. They were flawless, between the two of them they handled much of the investigation work, and what one missed, the other picked up.

They were almost friendly with one another on occasion too.

I was never quite sure what sort of friendship the two had, and I was wrong if I thought that it would become clear after L died, leaving Light alone in the quirky 'partnership'. Light appeared to get over it quickly, which led me to believe that the friendship they had was not particularly strong. But sometimes...I'd find him almost at a loss, sitting in front of his screen, zoned out.

What I didn't know, of course, was if he was reflecting...or simply thinking. It was sad...I felt I didn't really know my own son at times like this. Still. I think some part of him missed the eccentric detective a lot, even if outwardly he was over it.

............

Lalala. New character ^^

Enjoy.

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	23. Vita Brives

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Vita Brives_: 'life is short'

The last seconds of L's life.

Set in manga-verse, not movie-verse, so...yeah, he's not killed himself.

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

Also...yeah, epic fail on updating the last few days. Sorry, epic internet BOOB and FAIL. Was not a happy bunny. Not at all. BUT. My internet is BACK, and I am uploading what is almost a week's worth of drabbles up on FF. Doi.

............

**... Entry Twenty Three – February 8****th****, 2009 ...**

**... Vita Brives**** ..****.**

The first spasm brought with it two things about which I was suddenly absolutely sure of. One, Light was Kira, 100%, no doubt about it. Two, he'd somehow just murdered me. I figured out approximately a tenth of a second later that he'd probably gotten the Shinigami Rem to do it, since she was conspicuously absent.

The second spasm was violent enough to jerk me out of my chair, and I was suddenly aware that all eyes were on me. Frantic shouts, including one of such concern from Light it sickened me. To my credit I did not cry out and scream as I had seen so many others do when faced with Kira's 'judgement', although I felt like it. I also wanted to scream that Light was Kira...but I didn't want him to be anywhere near my last words, and I don't think they'd have believed me anyway. The most galling thing was having him catch me as I fell. It did not shock me – he'd want the rest of them to believe he was truly upset at my death – the one that was happening right now.

Christ. That's a scary thought. As my eyes were closing, I found myself staring past Light – no, Kira's smirking red eyes, and I really let the thought of death hit home. There was no light, no dark tunnel, and mercifully, my life didn't flash before my eyes. That would have just been irritating. The last lingering moments brought with them a sense of peace so profound, I almost smiled. I should have, perhaps, just to confuse the hell out of Light.

The only thought after that was the sad realisation of how short life is.

............

L. AGAIN. I am somewhat stuck on him. Eh, well. If you get bored of him, DO let me know...

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	24. Ludibrium

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Ludibrium__:_ 'plaything'

Mello on Near, toys, and being number one. I WILL catch up today or tomorrow. *growls*

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Twenty Four – February 9****th****, 2009 ...**

**... Ludibrium**** ..****.**

He always was obsessed with his toys. I remember watching him as a child, hawk like, normally from a doorway, or from the opposite corner of a room (lest he catch me of course, for little could be more embarrassing than having Near look up to find me staring like some sort of love-sick fool...and in love with him I was NOT. I hated him, hated him with a passion...more on that later.), sometimes even from across a crowded cafeteria. Always he was preoccupied.

Which begs the question, how on Earth did he always manage to get better marks then me? Me, who studied hard, worked long hours and stayed up reading until I passed out? Everyone hailed him as a genius, and the other kids (namely ME) just got shoved under the 'quite clever but not _Near_ standard' banner. Which infuriated me no end. Looking back, I sometimes feel the first stirrings of guilt, guilt at the way I turned everyone against him with just one or two well placed words and actions, guilt at the nonchalant way I bullied him, guilt at the scars I left.

Then I catch myself. He's as manipulative, cunning and nasty as I am, he just hides it better. Or at least that's what I told myself every time I laid into him. It wasn't as though he could fight back...he was battered by medical problems, he could not walk, let alone run, and he had trouble breathing sometimes (this was possibly my fault). But still I beat him up, at every available opportunity. Simply because he made me so angry with his nonchalance, his bored expression in classes I found hard. I wouldn't hit him now of course, I'm older, wiser...and there are better ways to hurt people. Not that he's my priority anymore. Kira took that from him. But for a while...just a little while, he was mine. My plaything. He was my toy as much as those irritating little robots and lego bricks were his. He isn't scared of me anymore, but before I left, he was.

It happened after I'd beaten him up for the millionth time, after a set of results he'd (obviously) beaten me in. He'd taken it fairly emotionlessly, like he always did, which of course made me even more angry. I remember his lips were red - I must have split his lip open - and he already had bluish purple bruising over the top of his eye (the only colour he ever wore, the colour that was the evidence of negative attention from the other children). He made the stupid, lethal mistake of tonelessly asking me if I'd finished yet. Had he just kept quiet...I probably would have left him be, but I saw red.

It was the stairs. Something that had never even crossed my mind before then, possibly because they were pretty lethal, cold stone and hard. They were just _there_, and all it took was for me to lift him off the floor by his collar and push him backwards. It was the only time I ever heard him scream. It was also the only time I hurt him enough for him to pass out. Although technically it was the stone steps that did _that_. He was terrified of me after that.

Do I regret it?

Of course not. It's _Near_.

------------

Darkish, huh. Eh, sometimes I like Mello and Near together, other times I just leave their relationship as 'hate' and be done with it. Quite a long drabble today, I like writing Mello.

....

Poor Near.

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	25. De Mortuis I

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_De Mortuis nil nisi Bonum:_ 'no one can speak ill of the dead'

The first of three letters to L, from his successors, after his death.

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Twenty Five – February 10****th****, 2009 ...**

**... De Mortuis I****..****.**

Dear L,

It's...a bit weird to be writing to you after what happened, but our teachers've insisted we do it, for some stupid reason. Although Mello's gone, so he's escaped the useless activity...left me behind, as usual. It doesn't bother me as much as it should do I suppose, we both knew he would, and so did Near. He's a bit more affected than he lets on. He's always saying he never met you, and therefore he didn't like you...but I think he's a bit more upset than he says. Or maybe he misses Mello. I don't know, even if reading people is the one thing I'm good at. Even if everyone says I'm stupid at most things. Then again, stupid here is anything under Mello and Near.

I don't really know what to put. I'm sorry, I suppose, would be a good place to start. It's probably what all the other morons are putting. Oh hell yes, Matt the trailblazer, goes along with everybody else. Okay scratch that. I'm sure Mello and Near will catch Kira. Even if they don't work together. That's what you wanted, wasn't it? For us all to get along...but that was pretty damn impossible from the start, really. I get along with both of them easily enough, but I dare say I'm the only one. The majority of the kids here dislike Near as much as Mello does, and the rest are the quiet type, who'll talk to him about as much as everyone else (hardly ever). Mello's always bragging about how he met you, so if he did write a letter, he might have more to say.

I wish I could say more, but I don't (didn't) really know you. I wish I did, I guess a lot of us here do...but that's impossible now isn't it? You'd probably have been asked a lot of questions, though, and questions are annoying, so it's maybe good you didn't come here.

We're supposed to put 'I'll miss you' at some point. Well there's mine. Sorry I can't say it sincerely, but you can't miss what you don't know. I'll miss your stories, I guess, and we'll all be aware of your absence...but really? I can't understand how I'm supposed to mourn someone who didn't care enough to visit. Then again, you must never speak ill of the dead. Another thing I'll never understand. Why would the dead care if you slag them off? They're dead. Unless Mello's 'heaven' really does exist, and you're watching over us. Wow, heaven must be really crowded.

Well...kinda run out of things to say. I guess I'll just play on my PSP til the bell goes. So long.

Matt

(aged 14 – no, don't ask ME why we have to put how old we are either. I don't get these people.)

------------

I don't suppose canon!Matt would have had much of an opinion on L, since they never met. There may be some fanon later on where L took a more active role in the wammy kids' lives. (hint hint)

Thanks for reading.

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	26. De Mortuis II

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_De Mortuis nil nisi Bonum:_ 'no one can speak ill of the dead'

The second of three letters to L, from his successors, after his death.

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Twenty Six – February 11****th****, 2009 ...**

**... De Mortuis II****..****.**

Dear L,

I'm watching Matt play on his PSP. I guess he's done. I haven't even started yet. Hi, by the way. I'm Linda. Fourth in line to your name. Fifteen years old, accepted to do a foundation art degree (something anyone above me in rank would not be allowed to do), and I've never met you. Aside from your symbol and a distorted voice on a laptop, I've never come into contact with you. I can't say I'm surprised, if I were a world-famous detective I'd keep my head low too.

But you didn't keep yours low enough, did you? I'm sorry for that, Kira must have taken you by surprise...I expect I'd have done things differently, maybe...I don't know, I wouldn't have confronted my suspect. But perhaps that's why you were the detective and I wasn't. I bet you had a lot of enemies, didn't you? I wonder if Near will inherit them when he inherits your name. Which is dead cert now, since Mello's gone and I don't think Matt even wants it. This is getting easier now I'm getting into it. We'll all be attending a service for you at the chapel (of course not a church, we're not all allowed to leave the house at once, as you know), and we have to give these to Roger so he can bury them with you, apparently. Quite sweet really, although it would have meant more if you knew us.

Or maybe you did. Did you know that I'd been accepted in one of the best art colleges in England? Did you know that Matt recently got awarded four A-levels, in Information Tech, Computing, Applied Science and Maths? At fourteen? Maybe you did, and maybe you were proud of us, like we always wanted you to be. Thanks, I suppose...for giving us kids goals, and all that...I'll paint a picture for you in college.

Love you, just like we all do,

Linda (aged 15)

Xxx

------------

Another new character. Enter LINDA. Arty, apparently quite annoying, has a platonic fondness for Near. And that's about as much info on her that is official.

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	27. De Mortuis III

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_De Mortuis nil nisi Bonum:_ 'no one can speak ill of the dead'

The third of three letters to L, from his successors, after his death.

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Twenty Five – February 12****th****, 2009 ...**

**... De Mortuis III****..****.**

Dear L,

....apologies for this rather stupid, pointless exercise. This won't take long. You don't really know me (at least, there's no mutual acknowledgement that I am aware of), so I suppose an introduction is necessary, if somewhat pointless, since you will hardly need any of this where you are. I'm Near. Your successor. The first one. The one whose job it is, thanks to your untimely death, to start my own investigation into Kira, and attempt to gain some sort of backing from someone with authority, at thirteen years old.

Thanks for that.

Wait. I'm not supposed to speak ill of the dead, am I. So no more nasty thoughts. I suppose I'll miss you. A bit. Not as much as Mello might.

(Insert noise of dissent). I really don't know what to write. This is stupid, I didn't even know you. What do they want, lots of mushy, useless poetry about how we'll miss you and how we're SO damn sad you're gone? Yeah. Sorry, not my thing. Not really anyone here's thing. Ha. I bet you know that. I bet you'd find this as dumb as we do.

Then again, it's like...goodbye isn't it? Closure, as such. Well here's my closure. So long, L Lawliet. Yeah, I know your name. A few of us here do, we worked it out. Well, I lie, me , Mello and Linda (yes, Mello and I worked together on this one) rifled through the old records to see who could find each other's names first. I won. Then Mello said we should find yours. Linda didn't think it would be there. But it was. So there you go. We knew your name. Not that we ever told anyone. It was our secret.

Lots of love (or whatever generic goodbye is appropriate)

Near

------------

Hee. He's so nonchalant. I love him. I thought I'd give him some 'screen time' since last time he appeared he got thrown down the stairs by Mello........

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	28. Memorandum I

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Memorandum__:_ 'memory'

Everyone was a child once. This 'set' will focus on the childhood memories on several of the characters, and will be sprinkled throughout the year.

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Twenty Eight – February 13****th****, 2009 ...**

**... Memorandum I**** ..****.**

Light Yagami would always remember his first few years at school. He would look back on it and laugh of course, but there would always be tiny trickles of resentment. At the age he was now, people respected intelligence, adored it even...but it was not always like this. Soichiro and Sachiko had taught him all about letters and numbers, writing and arithmetic...and when he was younger, he hated them for it.

He was called a problem child, since he acted up in lessons, and refused to do the work. He refused it because it was so depressingly simple. In his childish head, it seemed stupid to do it all again, when he knew he could do it and his parents knew he could do it. His teachers used to sit him in the corner with the toys, and mutter about him to the other adults. For a bit, that was fine. He was just bored in th corner rather than bored at his desk.

Until the name-calling started. What started at 'retard' and 'loser' turned into 'nerd', 'teachers pet' and 'snob' when he finally did settle into doing work, if only to stop them calling him an idiot. He realised he couldn't win, and, more than depressing him, it irritated him. He wasn't one to rise to bullying, his lateral mentality said they would regret it one day.

And regret it they did. By the time he was fifteen he'd grown into a stunning young man, and with the intelligence he'd always had, and the natural charm he'd grown into, he quickly became intensely popular, and those that had bullied him became obscured in the shade. He had friends in all the right places, and excelled in almost everything he did.

Even when that thing became murder.

............

Short and sweet. Light-love. :)

Philosopher's Queen

xx


	29. Amor

_**Ephemeris Silenti**_

' _The Diary of the Dead '_

_............_

_Amor__:_ 'love'

Happy Valentine's day! Sprinkling of Mello x Matt, Light x L, Gevanni x Near, and HOPEFULLY up on the right day! (kicks her internet angrily)

YESSS! FINALLY HAVE MY INTERNET BACK! (strokes it happily) this brings 'Ephemeris Silenti' up to date and back on track. :)

For all those who don't like boy x boy pairings, avoid this drabble (or, three drabbles)

Thanks for all the new reviews, alerts, favourites, etc, and thanks, as always, to Annie, who takes care of my Latin issues.

............

**... Entry Twenty Nine – February 14****th****, 2009 ...**

_**... **_**Amor**_**..**__**.**_

_Love is a funny word. It means something different to everyone. Mello showed his love in odd ways, with little gestures that only Matt could interpret. Until they were alone of course. _

"What are you doing?"

"hmm? Oh...you wanted those tapes doing, right?" The redhead was propped up on his elbows, lying down in bed, two laptops open and running in front of him. Much to Mello's amusement, only one was being used for the work, the other making the retro noises of the game 'Pacman'. Matt shot him a guilty look. "Yeah...I was bored."

Mello smirked and sat down beside him. "It's fine, you know it is. Not that I could do that."

"What, multitask?" A grin. "You're more like a girl than me, why not?"

"Shut up." The blonde swiped at Matt, who ducked and sniggered. "I meant play games and work at the same time."

"Aye, but some games are the sort you don't want to be working alongside. Pacman's easy. Other things wouldn't be."

Mello's eyebrow quirked. "Oh?" He thought he had an idea as to what 'games' Matt had in mind. He also thought he'd probably like them. Matt turned and grinned at him. "Not that you'd be wanting to put me off my work AT ALL right now, would you?" He said cheekily, leaning up to ghost his lips over Mello's. The blonde smirked, ignoring the colour that rose to his cheeks at the redhead's chaste kiss.

"No. Not at all."

...

_Of course, different people had different ways of expressing love. L would never quite understand why they had to fight, but he figured it had something to do with the 'kissing and making up' part._

Raito cried out as L's fist collided with his face. He was aware that he deserved it, he had, as usual, started the fight they were now having. He was also aware that it hadn't been something tremendously important they were fighting over. Nevertheless, he snarled and flung out his arm, catching the black-haired man by the collar and yanking him towards him, literally throwing him onto the floor.

"OUCH." L gasped, winded, as he collided with the floor. Raito's unorthodox move had caught him by surprise. Before he had a chance to get up, or retaliate, Raito was on top of him, one of his knees digging uncomfortably into the small of the detective's back. "I win again." The younger's voice hissed in his ear.

"I was not aware this was a contest, Raito-kun..." L managed to gasp out.

"You say that every time."

"..." L reluctantly gave in as he felt the younger man's tongue at his throat. Raito sat up, pulling L with him so they were upright. Then, like he always did, he slid his arms around the detective's waist, kissing his neck. "...Why must you fight me so often?" The older man murmured, licking the blood from his lower lip.

"So I can justify kissing you."

"That makes...absolutely no sense."

"You never heard of kiss and make up?" Ah. L was right then.

...

_And, yet again, there are other forms of love. Near relied upon Gevanni, perhaps a little more so than the other two SPK agents._

Near stared blankly at the ceiling, yet again cursing his inability to go to sleep. His room was pitch black. Muttering something incoherent and turned over, his eyes resting on a tiny speck of light being reflected off a street lamp way below him.

A sigh.

Then, interestingly, a knock. Near frowned and sat up. "Come in?" He said softly. If he had to guess who it would be...ah. Yes, he was right. "Good evening Gevanni." The light from the corridor flooded the room, and Near blinked, rubbing his eyes.

"I believe that's morning." The dark haired man grinned, nodding to the clock on the bedside, which did indeed read quarter past three in the morning. "It seems you take after your predecessor all too well." Gevanni murmured, sitting on the end of the younger boy's bed. "I made you hot chocolate."

Near smiled genuinely, tiredly, rubbing at his eyes again. "Thank you...you're a lifesaver." He yawned, the unsightly rings under his eyes growing bigger with each night he didn't sleep. Gevanni extended his hand and ran a finger over one of the black marks. "You'll make yourself ill." Near sighed, leaning into the touch. "I can't help it..." He replied. Gevanni pulled the young genius into his arms. "I know." He let Near melt in his arms, weariness overruling propriety.

"Is it Kira?"

"Partly. I think it's Mello, too..."

Gevanni nodded. "You need to unwind..." he rubbed circles on Near's back, and the white haired boy visibly relaxed. Gevanni wasn't sure how long he sat with Near in his arms, but he was still there when the boy woke from his slumber.

Near flushed. "I did it again, didn't I."

............

THREE drabbles today, since it's Valentine's day :)

Everyone loves someone, and somewhere, there is someone who loves everyone. (end cheese)

Philosopher's Queen

xx


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